RV construction

[46mech]

I posted this over on the iRV2.com site also, but I wanted to get enough opinions about the subject of RV construction. My wife and I want to upgrade from our 21ft Thor Wanderer Wagon and we've been bombarding ourselves with RV information (we're doing much more research this time than we did last time). It's mind boggling to try to keep track of all the different aspects of all the makers and their products.



It seems that many more manufacturers these days are using aluminum than they are using wood to build their products. I've read a lot of posts by RV'ers that swear by their aluminum-framed RVs. I am leery of aluminum construction because, to me, welds are susceptible to cracking and how would anyone know until the RV wall fell off the structure. I'm not a welder, but I do know that an improper weld isn't going to last long. I'm not necessarily sold on the belief that "manufacturers wouldn't be using this method if it weren't a proven method"..... everything is cost driven; if it's cheaper for the builder to make, it's more money in their pockets.



Anyway, we were looking at the Forest River Cedar Creek construction (Silverback line, anyway), they describe the construction as:

1) 2x2 - 16" O. C. sidewall with individually fastened custom "L" brackets combined with Uniroyal Silaprene adhesives for strong, flexible frame without welding or lamination.

2) sidewall is bolted to floor with 5/16" x 3-1/2" carriage bolts.



Does this necessarily mean that all Forest River aluminum RVs are done with this method? This seems better to me than welded joints, but I don't know. I'm drawn to the Artic Fox because of the construction, but I know the wood construction makes them heavier.



Also, can anyone enlighten me as to how the exterior material is attached to aluminum frames? I can't seem to find any literature that tells me whether the stuff is screwed or glued to the aluminum studs. Do different manufacturers use different methods for this?



I was recently introduced to the Carriage Cameo TT. I don't seem to recall hearing of this brand before, but the literature says they've been around since... 1968?? Anyway, I see they use a one-piece vinyl roof. This doesn't seem to be a good way to go. At first I thought that vinyl is going to be subject to getting brittle after several years, but then I thought of the vinyl siding on houses. I don't know, but it can't be as quiet as the EPDM rubber roof, can it? Seems like rain and/or hail dropping on vinyl would drive ya crazy after a very short time.



Anyway, please help shed some light on these construction issues I have, if you can.



Thanks

 

[Dean Upson]

Wood vs: Aluminum

Does this necessarily mean that all Forest River aluminum RVs are done with this method? This seems better to me than welded joints, but I don't know. I'm drawn to the Artic Fox because of the construction, but I know the wood construction makes them heavier.

Teton Homes says "in units over 32 feet in length, wood and aluminum framing weigh virtually the same. "

With modern construction methods, it's all in what you want. Small units with aluminum framing weigh less than wood.



Dean

 

[klenger]

I think some of the higher weights for the Arctic Fox's is in the really beefy frame and axles they use. They also use thicker flooring and roof sheeting than some of the lighter weight trailers. I really doubt that aluminum wall and ceiling framing would make more than a few hundred lbs difference.

 

[stick]

You might want to look at the SunnyBrook's construction. Aluminium framed, but not welded.

I'm like you, I don't much trust aluminium when it's welded. We had a Sunnybrook for about 5 years without a bit of trouble, but I sold it a few months back. Our next unit will probably be wood framed, but they are getting hard to find.



Stick

 

[Dkevdog]

There are benefits to both aluminum and wood- I would venture to say it depends on who's building it rather than what they are using. You're already on the right track..... RESEARCH. I must have spent more than 100 hours researching our current trailer, which is a Sunnybrook. I chose them for a number of reasons, and the floorplan was the tiebreaker between it and Arctic Fox. Sunnybrook is an aluminim frame that is glued and screwed. It has some flexibility and give that you'd not get with a welded trailer. And, if a frame repair is ever needed, it would bemore easily repaired. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with a well built wooden trailer like Arctic Fox. Many full time high end units are constructed of wood. I believe that the Gel Coat fiberglass sides (aluminim siding is attached in a different manner) on my Sunnybrook are vacuume bonded to the side walls using an adhesive. In my opinion there is not much wieght or cost difference between aluminum or wood. If I had to guess, I'd say that aluminum costs slightly more.



Kev

 

[satmike]

The place I go in Mexico has a 40 mile dirt road and I've seen a lot of cracks in aluminum framed campers. Not just in the welds but in the tubing. I think someone said if the aluminum had to be annealed what ever that means

Later Mike